A change of artists usually means a change of repertoire. Not this weekend at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra; the change involves the guest conductor and the soloist, making the retention of all three pieces on the program nearly miraculous.

Louis Lortie, the piano soloist, broke an ankle while hiking and won't return to performing for a couple of months. Vassily Sinaisky, the conductor, had an unspecified 'scheduling conflict."

But excellent replacements, conductor Christopher Warren-Green and pianist Arnaldo Cohen, contributed memorably Friday morning to Jean Sibelius' "En saga," Franz Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major and Piotr Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor.

Warren-Green, music director of the Charlotte, N.C., Symphony Orchestra, is best known for leading the music for last spring's royal wedding. He has tremendous presence, a leonine head of thick gray hair and a fine, clear conducting style that matches his interpretive abilities.

"En saga" is full of wintry atmosphere in its dark and brooding Nordic moodiness. It received a deeply felt and well-played performance from Warren-Green and the orchestra, with associate principal clarinet Diana Haskell receiving a richly deserved solo bow as soon as the music died away.

Cohen gave the Liszt a big, dramatic account without ever resorting to pounding or posing; the necessary Romantic emotion was present throughout, but so was a keen intelligence. Warren-Green performed the concerto in one sweeping dramatic movement, keeping the momentum intact throughout.

Tchaikovsky's Fourth filled the second half. It got off to a rocky start; there was a sense that most of the orchestra just wasn't quite prepared to come in, and the horns suffered some painfully obvious blurps right at the top. It came together for what was overall a strong first movement.

The second movement opened with a gorgeous solo by guest principal oboe Monika Hanulik, assistant principal oboe of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Warren-Green brought a sure hand to shaping the symphony, bringing out all the inherent power of this music, and bringing it to a thrilling conclusion. Warren-Green will be back next season: excellent news.

The delicate Pizzicato movement was beautifully played, but it was accompanied by loud rustlings, dropped items, the trill of a mobile phone, unmuffled coughing and other inconsiderate additions from the audience, spoiling some of its effect.

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Christopher Warren-Green and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

When • 3 p.m. Sunday

Where • Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand Boulevard

How much • $20-$112

More info • stlsymphony.org or 314-534-1700